NPA medical officer
killed in battle: Army
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

A woman believed to be a medical officer of the New People’s Army died in an encounter with soldiers of the 47th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Set-an, Brgy. East, Candoni, Negros Occidental, yesterday.

Lt. Col. Rodrigo Sosmena, 47th Infantry Battalion commander, yesterday identified the slain alleged NPA amazon as Julia Pacheco Tabat, with aliases of “Ka Pinay,” “Gab” and “Alex,” who, he said, served as the medical officer of the South West Front committee of the NPA.

Sosmena said the encounter took place at about 5 a.m. yesterday, as his troops responded to reports of civilians that about 20 armed NPA rebels led by Reniel Cellon, alias Kumpol, were consolidating in the area, recruiting and training minors in medical courses, as red fighters, and in making improvised explosives devices, and on landmine operations.

Alleged official nabbed
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

An alleged finance officer of the Komiteng Rehiyal-Negros was apprehended at about 6 last night by a combined team of police and military operatives in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, by virtue of an arrest warrant for the crime of murder issued by Cadiz City Regional Trial Court Judge Renato Munez.

Policemen, assisted by military personnel, nabbed Sarah Alvarez, alias Ka Olsen, finance officer of the KR-Negros headed by priest-turned rebel Frank Fernandez, Col. Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said last night.

Lactao said the arrest warrant against Alvarez stemmed from the death of 1Lt. Archie Polenzo, commander of the 62nd Infantry Battalion Bravo Company, in Brgy. Caduha-an, Cadiz City, who was killed in an encounter with suspected rebels in Cadiz City, on February 2010.

Commission on Elections personnel throughout Negros Occidental are bracing for a long work-day with thousands of voter registrants expected to flock to their offices to try to beat the 3 p.m. deadline today, Provincial Elections Office Jessie Suarez said yesterday.

COMELEC Resolution 9542 states that if, at 3 p.m. today, there are persons still waiting in line to file their applications for registration within a 30-meter radius from the Office of the Elections Officer, the Election Assistant will, without delay, list down their names, numbered consecutively, so that they can register, Suarez said.

Suarez said this will mean that COMELEC personnel will be working beyond 5 p.m. as volunteers since no overtime pay has been allotted for their work after office hours.